Detroit's Coaching/Manager Changes

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTO BY CANDICE EBLING

A year ago, the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49'ers at the New Orleans Superdome.

Since that time, there has been some shifting for the Detroit Coaching/Managerial Scene.

I'll take this team by team.

The Detroit Pistons hired Lawrence Frank on August 3, 2011. In two seasons he compiled a 54-94 mark and Detroit missed the playoffs both campaigns.

Termination Day came on April 18, 2013 as the Pistons Management became fed up with his inability to communicate with players.

On June 28, 2013, Brooklyn Nets rookie Head Coach Jason Kidd hired Frank to be his lead assistant and his right-hand man. It didn't take long for Kidd to get fed-up with Frank as he banned him from games and practices on December 3, 2013. Now Frank has been demoted to filing team evaluation reports.

The Pistons hired Maurice Cheeks as his replacement and there is no doubt he's an upgrade over Frank.

The Detroit Tigers managerial change wasn't of their own choosing. Jim Leyland decided to retire with a 700-597 record on October 21, 2013.He led Detroit to a pair of World Series appearances. Leyland guided Detroit to four playoff appearances which is the most in team history.

Leyland, who piloted the Tigers from 2006-2013 is the Tigers second manager to have a winning record since 1979 joining the late Sparky Anderson. Leyland's winning percentage is .540 while from 1979-1995, Anderson was 1,331-1248 for a .516 percentage.

On January 8, 2014, Leyland was named as a Special Assistant to Tigers President, CEO and GM Dave Dombrowski. I had a feeling that he couldn't totally stay away.

Meanwhile, Brad Ausmus has been hired to replace Leyland. He appears to have assembled a good coaching staff. I'm pleased that Ausmus retained Pitching Coach Jeff Jones and Bench Coach Gene Lamont. These were the two areas which needed to maintain continuity.

The Detroit Lions coaching change was inevitable after two straight late season collapses which cost Jim Schwartz his job.

Schwartz finished with a 29-52 mark in his tenure with the Lions from 2009-2013.

He was a highly coveted hire when he joined Detroit as the Tennessee Titans former defensive coordinator. His Lions record is somewhat deceiving because he inherited an 0-16 team without a franchise quarterback.

But the 2012 and 2013 seasons sealed Schwartz's fate. In 2012, Detroit started 4-4 but went 0-8 and finished 4-12. After a 6-3 start in 2013, The Lions wound up 7-9. You do the math. It was ugly at 1-6 and that's why Schwartz became unemployed on Dec 30, 2013. A 1-14 mark in November and December doesn't get it done.

As much as people like to criticize the Ford Family because of the Lions woeful record over the years, the only thing I'll say is they don't meddle with their coaches and don't lack patience. That's why many NFL People thought it was one of the best jobs available.

The only major coaching move which bothered me over the years was when Detroit had a chance to hire Assistant Coach Chuck Knox but elected to go with Monte Clark. Knox went on to coach the Los Angeles Rams and had good success while the Lions struggled with Clark. The only exciting players worth watching in the Clark era were Running Back Billy Sims and QB Gary Danielson.

I know a lot of people seem to be criticizing the Jim Caldwell hire. But hold on because while this might not be the most sexy big name guy, he comes with great credentials and recommendations from future Hall of Fame Coach Tony Dungy, former Indianapolis Colts GM Bill Polian, Future Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning along with many others. Caldwell is known for his calm demeanor.

Caldwell led the Colts to a Super Bowl appearance as a head coach, and has won others as an assistant coach. He has an excellent reputation developing signal callers and as long as he hires assistant coaches that can only enhance the development of Matt Stafford, I have a feeling that many critics will be eating their words.

Caldwell may not be the quote machine that My Fellow Media Members want, but I'm sure My Detroit Colleagues will trade the quotes for an opportunity to see the Lions reach the Super Bowl.

The Only Team which hasn't made a change and I wouldn't foresee it in the future are the Detroit Red Wings. They are the Model Franchise in this city. They have won four championships with two coaches in Scotty Bowman and Mike Babcock.

Babcock is doing one of the best coaching jobs I've ever seen because he's had only two players that have participated in all the team's games. The Red Wings made the playoffs on the last game of the Regular Season and reached the Western Conference Finals only to lose to eventual eventual champs, the Chicago Blackhawks,.

I have a feeling the Wings consecutive playoff streak will increase to 23-years with a hot streak and getting some players back from injuries. If Detroit can keep winning, who knows, they could take this playoff streak into the New Olympia Stadium in a few years.

In the meantime, I'll be curious to see how these three new coaches perform a year from now.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

NFL Prospects Highlight Capital One Bowl

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

The last time we saw the Wisconsin Badgers play on November 30, 2013 in Madison at Camp Randall Stadium, there were some interesting story lines against the Penn State Nittany Lions.

The game temperature was 42 degrees and the winds were blowing Southwest at 10 mph.

The Badgers were vying for a position in a BCS Bowl game, but Penn State's 31-24 win sent Wisconsin (9-3) to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando instead of a possible spot in the Orange Bowl In Miami.

As it turns out, Penn State's win was the last for Coach Bill O'Brien, who became the head coach of the Houston Texans.

The walk from the Press Parking Garage in Madison to the stadium was about 35 minutes compared to the five minutes at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Lot A.

Weather Conditions for the Capital One Bowl were 64 degrees with winds seven mph along with a misty light rain that had ponchos available for the photographers to stay dry.

December 30, 2013 was Black Monday in the NFL. The first coaching casualty hit the Washington Redskins as Mike Shanahan was fired.

South Carolina Gamecocks Coach Steve Spurrier piloted the Redskins from 2002-2003 and he was 12-20 in two seasons before re-resigning on December 30, 2003 with three years and $15 million left on his contract.

He took 2004 off then landed with the Gamecocks in 2005 where he's taken this program to higher levels compiling a 76-39 record going into the Capital One Bowl Game against the Badgers. 

Spurrier has guided South Carolina to a 10-2 mark in 2013. This is Spurrier's third straight 10-2 record going into a bowl game.

The contest against Wisconsin is Spurrier's 300th collegiate game. Going into the game he is 218-79-2. Spurrier said somebody told him right before the game and that he hadn't thought about it until right before the game.

Spurrier had a two-game bowl winning streak. 

Two years ago, he led a 10-2 South Carolina squad into the Citrus Bowl and throttled the Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-3), 30-13 on January 2, 2012.

Last year, on January 1, 2013, South Carolina was 10-2 and defeated the Michigan Wolverines (8-4) 33-28 in the Outback Bowl in Tampa. But this game would be known for what happened with 8:21 left in the fourth quarter.

Jadeveon Clowney delivered a tenacious hit on Michigan Running Back Vincent Smith. Clowney's hit dislodged Smith's helmet, forced a fumble that Jadeveon recovered and led to the game winning touchdown.

So what would give on January 1, 2014 against Wisconsin? Would the Badgers get their ninth 10-win season in school history and fourth in five years?

The Badgers entered the game as the eighth best rushing team in the nation with 3,396 yards with a 283 average. Wisconsin featured multiple running backs that averaged at least 100 yards a game in sophomore Melvin Gordon (122.2) and senior James White (111.4). 

White wears No. 20 and Detroit Lions fans remember that a Hall of Fame Player named Barry Sanders wore this number.

Wisconsin is currently 2-0 in the Capital One Bowl with their last trip here in 2006. 

UW was victorious in its last game in Orlando scoring a 20-14 win over Miami in the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl, and is 3-1 all-time at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium.

As it turned out, there were no crunching hits by the 6-6, 274 pound, Clowney, (Photographed wearing No.7) who hails from Rock Hill, South Carolina. 

Instead, it was the Connor Shaw Show as the senior QB lit up the Badgers secondary by throwing for 312 yards and three touchdowns to defeat the Badgers 34-24 in front of 56,629 fans at The Citrus Bowl.

Shaw was named the Capital One Bowl MVP. It was his first 300-yard passing game of the season. He finished his South Carolina career with 27 wins as a starting quarterback as the victory extended a school record he extended earlier this season.

Shaw (Photographed wearing No.14) became the fourth player in school history to surpass the 6,000 career mark with 6,074.

The Flowery Branch, Georgia native, was 22-25 and had only three incomplete passes and sacked just once. He also rushed for another 47 yards and a touchdown. Clearly, a poised hybrid signal caller.

The Wisconsin loss dropped the Badgers to 9-4, 2-1 all-time in the Capital One Bowl and 3-2 in the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium.

There were no hits that would earn an ESPY Award on ESPN.

Just potential pro prospects.

Clowney had five tackles, four solo and one assist. He also had two break-ups and one quarterback hurry. Clowney's next football activities figure to be his Pro Day, and the NFL Scouting Combine.

After the game, Clowney wasted no time by announcing his intentions that he was making himself eligible for the NFL Draft.

According to many draft experts, Clowney is projected as a top five selection.

White gained 108 yards in his final game with the Badgers. He finished his career with 4,011 yards which is fourth on the Badgers all-time list, trailing Ron Dayne (7,125) Montee Ball (5,140) and Anthony Davis (4,676).

Ball will be playing in the Super Bowl on February 2 in New York/New Jersey at MetLife Stadium. 

For White, it was his 18th career 100-yard game, tying him with John Clay for sixth place on Wisconsin's all-time list.

The teams highly touted rushing attack amassed 293 yards for UW, the third best rushing performance in a bowl game in school history. Gordon lead the team with 146 yards.

The Dynamic Duo of Gordon and White made history with their combined 250 yards rushing. They became the single-season all-time leading rushing tandem. Gordon finished with 1,609 yards while White had 1,444. Their combined total 3,053 yards are better than the FBS record of 3,004 set by Nevada's Cody Fajardo and Stefphon Jefferson in 2012.

Gordon (photographed, wearing No.25) and White are the first teammates in FBS History to rush for at least 1,400 in the same season.

The Badgers amassed 3,689 yards in 2013, a new school record..

It will be interesting to see how many pros emerge when South Carolina and Wisconsin hold their Pro Days during the spring. I'll be curious to see how many players get invited to the NFL Scouting Combine as well as the upcoming College All-Star Games including this weekends Senior Bowl.

But Spurrier's 300th game turned out to be a winner as he's won three straight bowl games against Major Big Ten Teams. He's now 77-39 at South Carolina and 219-79-2, plus three straight 11 win seasons.

South Carolina is now 7-12 all-time in bowl games and Spurrier is 4-4 in bowl games as the Gamecocks head coach.

Wisconsin dropped to 11-14 all-time in bowl games. Wisconsin finished No.22 in The AP Top 25 and No.21 in The USA Today Poll.

South Carolina finished No.4 in both The AP Top 25 and USA Today Polls.

South Carolina's senior class set a new record of 42 wins in four years eclipsing the old mark of  38 set by last years class.

When the contest was over, Spurrier was relieved that Wisconsin's two-headed running back monster tandem didn't lead the Badgers to a victory.

"I'm glad that the team that rushed the most yards didn't win today," Spurrier said. "I didn't realize that they had that many, but I knew they had a lot of big runs. Even though we gave up a lot of rushing yards in the middle of the field, our guys were pretty tough down there, and they made some key third downs which enabled those drives in the first half to keep going.

"Scoring is the big defensive stat, as we all know. We held them to 17 points, kickoff return on one. A good day for our defense, even though Wisconsin is a good running team as we know."

Spurrier added that he was proud of what Shaw's accomplished in his career.

"Connor will play a lot more football. I'm sure the NFL guys were watching today," Spurrier said. "They're looking for quarterbacks that can avoid the rush, move around a little bit and throw. And Connor can do all of that. So I think he's got an excellent chance."

Spurrier said that Shaw without question is one of the best signal callers that he's ever coached.

"I've had a lot of good ones," he said. 'Connor can take care of the ball and make plays when the game is on the line. And the game was on the line a whole bunch of plays today."

Badgers Coach Gary Andersen said this was a tremendous bowl game and something that everybody will remember the rest of their lives. It had great memories but unfortunate that the Badgers didn't get a win.

He said there is one player that made a major difference in this contest and that was the Gamecocks quarterback.

"We knew coming in that he's the engine and he does a great job extending plays," Andersen said. "He doesn't necessarily look to scramble, but to make a throw and he hurt us on that and a couple times later in the game. He played well. We were kind of disappointed without being able to contain him better. I give him a lot of credit. He's a great player."

Shaw is listed at 6-1, 209 pounds. Whether he is a first round draft choice is anybody's guess.

But three non first rounders that come to mind that have played in Super Bowls in recent years include Tom Brady a sixth round pick by New England, Colin Kaepernick second, by San Francisco, and former Badger Russell Wilson, who has guided the Seattle Seahawks this year.

Going into the Capital One Bowl it looked like Clowney would be the main attraction to the scouts and Shaw would be on the undercard.

It will be interesting to see what draft order they'll go and which one will be a better pro.

But watch out for James White. It will be interesting to see what type of NFL career he has playing for a university known for producing running backs.

Although these three players stand out at the moment, there are the Hidden Gems in the middle, end of the draft as well as undrafted free agents that can make NFL scouts and player personnel staff  look like geniuses.

One player that we saw during the playoffs was LeGarrette Blount, who led the Patriots to the AFC Championship Game, but fell short to the Denver Broncos.

Blount started his career with the Tennessee Titans, moved on to the Tampa Bay Bucs, both of whom missed this years playoffs, before making New England his third stop.

If there is one reason I enjoy covering, college football, watching bowl games, it's looking for future NFL Players.

The Capital One Bowl has a payout of $9,200,000 and this was the 68th annual game.

When you have a Big Ten vs Southeastern Conference match-up, on New Years Day, you're bound to find good players.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

Bizarre Night At BB&T Center

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

I've seen a lot of Crazy Circumstances in My Media Days, but 4.5 hours before I'd turn 51 on December 29, 2013, there was a first.

I've never had a problem logging onto a computer at a Sports Event until the Detroit Red Wings (19-15-10) faced the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, FL., on December 28, 2013 at the BB&T Center.

From the outset, it seemed simple to use the login name and password provided. As simple as they were, they didn't work.

But I just couldn't get My Acer Net Book connected after struggling all first period as the Red Wings took a 2-0 lead.

During the first intermission, the Panthers Public Relations Guy tried but was unsuccessful. He proceeded to call his I.T. Technician, who wasn't able to log on. They were both nice and worked very diligently. The I.T Guy was unable to connect in the second period.

By the start of the third period, the score was tied 2-2.

They initially thought the Wireless Adapter would have to be updated or uploaded again.

Meanwhile, I finally gave up, put the Acer back into the Computer Case and I went back to old pen and paper.

Just in time to see the Red Wings score two quick goals, and hold on to a 4-3 regulation win in a contest where they were out shot 33-31.

In the past, I've had other difficult situations.

In 1982, My Tape Recorder broke in the middle of an interview with Fort Lauderdale Yankees Manager Stump Merrill. Luckily, My Photographer Ken Rotberg, who had a tape recorder to mention players, numbers and key plays, let me use his.

Merrill was great and we did the entire interview over.

In fact, afterwards, Merrill and I shared a few laughs. He said "I manage young ballplayers and you're a young reporter."

It's safe to say that Stump didn't lack patience.

Another situation took place at the 1985 Florida State League All Star Game in Kissimmee.

The Houston Astros just moved into Osceola County Stadium (5,300) and it still houses their Class A team and Spring Training.

I was using an old computer the Tampa Tribune provided reporters where the old rotary phones had to be put in old suction cups.

I had my feature and game stories written, but because of phone line issues, I couldn't send them.

The deadline was midnight and I couldn't meet it.

However, I convinced My Editor Rick Nelson to get it extended by 45 minutes to the production people.

I dictated both stories to Rick and got this done in 30 minutes.

Rick did a sensational job and the stories actually turned out well considering the circumstances.

But on this Bizarre Night At The BB&T Center, there were some other firsts.
 * This was the first time the Red Wings defeated the Panthers this season.
* After missing 11 games, Red Wings Captain Henrik Zetterberg scored a goal in the first period to spark Detroit. He had one goal (photographed) in 21:43 minutes of ice time.
* This was My first time seeing the Red Wings play the Panthers in their long overdue move to the Eastern Conference. But certainly, the beginning of more games in this beautiful stadium.
* This was My Photographer Candice Ebling's first photo assignment for hockey and she admitted , it was quite challenging. But she did a great job especially with her action photos.

Yet, when the game was over, the Red Wings came away with a win. At the time, it was their third in four games.

Despite all of their injury problems, Coach Mike Babcock is doing a masterful job keeping them in the playoff hunt.

He should get consideration for Coach Of The Year honors with all his challenges.

I did manage to talk to him after the game and we spoke about the adversity he's faced.

"What I would say is the year you're in is the most challenging," Babcock said. "Every year you grind. That's the way it is. It doesn't matter how good or average your team is, it's always tough. The NHL is tight. Especially now. So injuries affect you.

"Our guys have tried hard. They've been positive about what they're doing so we have to keep getting better and I know we will."

The Panthers benefited at the gate. The
BB&T Center was 98.3% full as a crowd of 18,932 watched a hard fought contest.

I saw a fan wear an old No.24 White Red Wings Bob Probert Jersey. Indeed a die hard traditional hockey fan.

Zetterberg was named the No.2 Star of the Game.

As I left the arena, there were a lot of Red Wings fans wearing their jerseys trying to get autographs as the team was headed towards its bus area not far from the visiting locker room.

Then we went to a nearby McDonald's on Sunrise Boulevard to see if the WI-FI was working.

I was able to connect and just one hour before My Birthday, I didn't hit 52 before I hit 51.

There were more Red Wings fans taking a late night snack at McDonald's.

Before My technical problems, there were issues with My Windows 7, but I knew the computer didn't crash otherwise, I wouldn't see My Desktop Icons.

Nonetheless, the Red Wings came away with a win in the warm weather of South Florida.

For me, getting through the night was about winning ugly instead of losing pretty.

But I expect to be back at the BB&T Center for the Red Wings third and final game in South Florida on February 6, 2014.

By then, I have a feeling Detroit will be much healthier and playoff ready.

This meeting with the Panthers comes before the Olympic Break so by the time the Detroit returns to action on February 26 at Montreal, they'll be healthier and more rested. At least most of them
should.


Ten players will be on Olympic Rosters.

I give the Red Wings credit for hanging in as long as they finish this marathon strong, knowing all year their roster has resembled a MASH UNIT.

This won't be good news for the rest of their Eastern Conference opponents.

My next visit to BB&T Center is expected to be a much less stressful situation.


Whether you have internet or basic phone problems, it does get difficult with technical issues.

By the time I write on the Red Wings again, the focus will be on the playoffs, in addition to Detroit's adjustment to playing in the Eastern Conference.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

Pistons Progressively Plugging Away

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

When I attended the Detroit Pistons road game against the Milwaukee Bucks on December 4, 2013, it was neat talking to Rick Mahorn and Greg Kelser. I was asking them if Detroit's coaching change from Lawrence Frank to Maurice Cheeks was an upgrade.

They both seemed pleased with the early returns.

There appears to be a sense of calmness under the new coaching staff which includes former Piston Rasheed Wallace, who works with Detroit's big men and Henry Bibby who has always been a great basketball mind.

One thing that looked obvious especially in the locker room after the game is there seems to be a tremendous amount of respect towards Cheeks.

But then again, we're talking about a guy like Cheeks, who on April 25, 2003, aided 13-year old Natalie Gilbert in Portland when she forgot the words of the Star Spangled Banner and he Rescued her from major humiliation and total embarrassment by sharing the microphone to get her through the ordeal. The Trail Blazers fans, who sang along at The Rose Garden, gave both a standing ovation in a game against the Dallas Mavericks.

If the Tigers had a closer like Cheeks in the bullpen then perhaps they would have won this years World Series.

During this two day stretch, Detroit defeated the Miami Heat 107-97 on December 3 in South Florida then took care of the Bucks 105-98 in Wisconsin in guard Brandon Jennings return to Milwaukee. Jennings had 17 points and 11 assists to haunt his old team at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Back-to-back road wins starting in the South and ending in the North.

The Pistons win over the Bucks gave them a 5-1 record in their last six meetings.

Milwaukee's record as of today is 6-23.

Are the Pistons (14-17) a playoff team? It's too early to tell.

But as of today, they would be seeded seventh in the weak Eastern Conference.

As of today, here are the standings in the Atlantic Division.
1. Toronto 12-15
2. Boston 12-17
3. Brooklyn 10-19
4. New York 9-20
5. Philadelphia 8-20.

Toronto and Boston would actually make the playoffs as the fourth and eighth seeds respectively. A great accomplishment for new Celtics Coach Brad Stevens, who was hired away from Butler University.

Amazingly, 4 1/2 games separate the first and last place teams, Toronto and Philadelphia.

The Brooklyn Nets had high expectations going into the season hiring Jason Kidd as their new head coach then trading for Celtics championship veterans Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

Kidd hired Frank as his top assistant. By the end of November Kidd demoted Frank to the video room and banned him from practices and games. Frank's lack of communication skills got him banished from Detroit in two years and he wasted no time alienating his new boss.

As the Pistons approach the 2014 portion of their schedule, they definitely have a good core of young players with Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Singler to compliment Jennings and free agent Josh Smith.

I'll be curious to see how Chauncey Billups fits into the equation, but his veteran presence with the younger players especially the guards as a mentor is priceless.

As I look at the Nets situation and their Billionaire Owner Mikhail Prokhorov and Detroit's Billionaire Owner Tom Gores, it will be interesting to see which one wins an NBA Title first.

I wonder if Prokhorov regrets firing Nets interim Coach P. J. Carlesimo, who replaced Avery Johnson on December 27, 2012. All Carlesimo did was compile a 34-19 record in 54 games with a .648 winning percentage. Although Carlesimo's Nets lost a first round 4-3 series in last years playoffs, he still has a chance to see them often enough as a road analyst for the Boston Celtics this season.

For Joe Dumars sake, if he wants to save his job, Detroit needs significant improvement and that post-season appearance.

After the game, Smith said he was impressed with Dumars championship pedigree and that was his major reason for coming to Detroit.

"So far it's been a great experience being here," Smith said. We're getting better each and every day, coming together as a team each and every day. It's great coming to a traditional winning organization whose main focus is to win championships, which is a big eye opener as a free agent."

Jennings said there is one major difference between the Pistons and the Bucks.

"They're both great organizations, but Joe Dumars told me from the beginning that the Pistons strive to win championships," Jennings said. "We don't care about who makes All-Star Games."

How did Jennings feel about his return to Milwaukee?

"I was real nervous," he added. "I mean to be honest, I was real nervous in the beginning because I'm not used to being on this side. It was a lot of emotions going on, but once the second half started, I was able to settle down and play basketball."

Cheeks said he was impressed with the character his team showed winning these back-to-back road games.

"It feels really good," he said. I think we are playing good basketball. We are getting a lot of good performances out of a lot of people. The first half was a little sluggish. Actually, it seemed like both teams were a little bit sluggish and a little slow from the travel and the whole day. The second half we picked up and our defense got going. We got out on the court and made plays."

The front-line trio of Smith, Monroe and Drummond remind me of another young trio that plays for the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and Ezekiel Ansah, who are beasts on the Lions defense. Unfortunately for these three guys, they were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday in a 23-20 OT loss to the New York Giants.

I'll be curious to see how Smith, Monroe and Drummond turn out on both the offensive and defensive boards, monitoring their rebounding totals every night.

It remains to be seen what the Pistons identity will be as the season progresses.

But one thing is for certain. If the players do their research on their coach, Cheeks doesn't lack credibility.

The 15-year point guard was a four-time NBA All-Star, made three NBA Finals Appearances in four years, 1980, 1982 and 1983. His one championship occurred in 1983.

Cheeks has been a head and assistant coach since 1994.

When the Pistons were winning there three titles, they did it with defense.

Cheeks built his game around excellent defensive skills. He was named to four straight NBA All Defensive Squads from 1983-86 and one second team in 1987.

This should give Pistons fans some indication as to what they should see more of for the remainder of the 2014 campaign.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

Penn State's VS Wisconsin---Michigan Connections

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING
MADISON, WI

There were a lot of interesting story lines during the Penn State Nittany Lions recent visit to Camp Randall Stadium on November 30, 2013, which is the fifth oldest stadium in the country.

There were two members from the Orange Bowl Committee scouting the Wisconsin Badgers because it appeared to be quite possible that there would be three Big Ten teams heading to BCS Bowls.

Normally, the Atlantic Coast Conference Champions would get an automatic Orange Bowl bid. As it turned out, two Big Ten teams made it to BCS Bowl games.

No.2 Florida State (13-0) jumped to No.1 thanks to No.4 Auburn's 34-28 win over No.1 Alabama (11-1, 7-1) in the Iron Bowl on 11-30-2013.

The Seminoles 45-7 pounding of Duke (10-3, 6-3) in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday earned FSU the right to play in the National Championship Game in Pasadena, CA on January 6, 2014.

The Orange Bowl will now feature No.12 Clemson (10-2) against No.7 Ohio State (12-1) on January 3, 2014 in Miami.

Auburn (12-1, 8-1) will face Florida State (13-0, 9-0) in the National Championship Game after their 59-42 win over the Missouri Tigers Saturday in the SEC Championship Game.

Ohio State was defeated by a hot Michigan State squad 34-24 (12-1, 8-1) in the Big Ten Title Game Saturday and the Buckeyes are heading to South Florida.

The Big Ten is always a Big Draw in Florida.

Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa (Outback Bowl) and Nebraska (Gator Bowl) are playing in the post-season in The Sunshine State.

The Badgers took a seven-game winning streak into their contest against Penn State.

That was until the Nittany Lions figured this game was their bowl game and stunned the Badgers 31-24 in front of 78,064 fans. Any chance of a BCS Bowl ended with an inspired Penn State effort which allowed the Nittany Lions to improve to 7-5 and 4-4 in the Big Ten.

Wisconsin lost at Camp Randall Stadium for just the third time in the last four years and is now 61-7 at home since the start of the 2004 season. UW entered the game with the third-best home record in the nation since 2004.

Penn State entered the game as 24-point underdogs.

Head Coach Bill O'Brien said his players felt disrespected about the odds makers prediction.

"Our guys practice hard, they love to play and you know I can tell you flat out that they took offense to the fact that they were 24-point underdogs and that nobody even in State College thought they could win that game, except for the kids in that locker room and the coaches in that locker room.

"So I think that those kids took it personally. You know, you take those things personally. It's just the way it is, that's football. I really feel good about the seniors that they were able to go out on a winning note."

Because of the Jerry Sandusky Child Abuse Sex Scandal, Penn State is ineligible for the post-season.

Penn State ended the season on a winning note thanks to the play of freshman quarterback Christian Hackenberg, who went 21-30, for 339 yards, four touchdown passes and zero interceptions.

The No. 19  Badgers dropped to (9-3, 6-2) and will play No. 9 South Carolina in the Outback Bowl on January 1, 2014 in Orlando.

Wisconsin needed just 34 rushing yards to break the school record of 3,309 set last season in 14 games. The Badgers added 120 and set a new school record with 3,396 yards in 12 games. These numbers will increase in Wisconsin's upcoming bowl game. The previous 12-game mark was 3,305 set in 1999.

There are two Metro Detroit Players that are performing well for Penn State.

Junior Wide Receiver Allen Robinson is from Southfield, MI and played High School Ball at Orchard Lake St. Mary's.

Entering the final week of the regular season, Robinson is third in the NCAA with 1,310 receiving yards and fifth in the nation with 119.1 yards a game. His 89 catches are seventh in the NCAA and his 8.1 yards are eighth nationally. He's also has six touchdowns.

Against the Badgers, Robinson had eight catches, for 122 yards. He finished the season with 1,432 yards which is a school record, and also added another school record for receptions in a single season compiling 97 receptions.

Despite one year left of eligibility, it is likely that he'll declare for the 2014 NFL Draft.

O'Brien wasn't thinking about whether Robinson would be back and said, "He made a lot of plays again tonight. I think even the plays that he didn't make it helped because there was the threat of him making a play and I think that always helps in the running game, which it was very hard to run the football tonight.

"You can't say enough about Allen Robinson. He's an excellent football player, a great guy to coach and a great guy to be around."

Red-shirt Junior C.J. Olaniyan has started 12 career games including every game in 2013 at defensive end. He ranks second in the conference with three forced fumbles, is tied for 10th in tackles for a loss (11) and is tied for ninth in the Big Ten in sacks (5.0).

Olaniyan, who is from Warren, MI and played for Warren Mott High School, Earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors with eight total tackles, four assisted and four unassisted, had 2.5 sacks and forced his first career fumble in the second quarter of Penn State's 43-40 (4OT) home win over No.18 Michigan on October 12.

Going into the Badgers game, Olaniyan had 25 unassisted tackles.

Against Wisconsin, Olaniyan had a 33-yard interception return that led to a Penn State 28-yard field goal which gave the Nittany Lions a 24-14 lead. He also had three QB Hurries.

Coach O'Brien said he's very pleased with Olaniyan's improvement this season.

"He's had a good year for us," O'Brien said. "He's made a lot of plays, is an instinctive player, has played much better this year than last year. C.J. has another year for us and we're excited about that. He's made key plays for us all year in the games we've won."

Olaniyan knew that there were plenty of Michigan Schools he could have attended and said Penn State was simply a better fit.

"It was all about the visit and I walked around the facilities and they were fine," Olaniyan said. "When I talked to coach J (late-Joe Paterno), I knew this was the place I wanted to be. When I came to Penn State, it had to do with the people and the fans. By them (NCAA) taking away the bowl games, it didn't effect me much because I had the opportunity to play in front of our great fans. That's all that mattered to me."

When the NCAA hammered Penn State with major sanctions in the Jerry Sandusky Child Abuse Sex Scandal, this would have been a perfect opportunity for Olaniyan to leave.

But he knew that the hiring of former New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator O'Brien's NFL connections would be helpful in his pursuit of a professional career.

"He's going to tell you straight up what you need to do to improve," Olaniyan said. "He won't tell you want you want to hear, but what you have to hear. He will tell it like it is. He won't lie to you. He's been in the business a long time."

There are two players on Wisconsin's roster that are from Michigan.

Senior Tight-End Jacob Pedersen is from Menominee and Senior Offensive Lineman Zac Matthias (No. 75 in photo above) is from Hemlock. Matthias is 6-5, 318 pounds.

Pedersen had four receptions for 64 yards against Penn State. He finished with 501 yards this season. In his four years with Wisconsin, he amassed 1,344 yards and 17 touchdowns. Pedersen was a captain for his final home game in red.

Interesting Note: Thanksgiving Weekend wasn't a good one for Wisconsin based teams facing Lions nicknames. Wisconsin lost to the Nittany Lions while the Green Bay Packers went to Detroit and were thrashed by the Lions 40-10 at Ford Field.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

Detroit's Daniel McKinney's Road To FAU

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTO BY CANDICE EBLING

He may not get the recognition as Washington Redskins Running Back Alfred Morris, Arizona Cardinals Tight-End Rob Housler, Houston Texans Wide Receiver Lester Jean or Tennessee Titans Quarterback Rusty Smith, but Daniel McKinney could be a player to watch in the 2014 NFL Draft.

McKinney was a linebacker at Melvindale High School and as a senior, he recorded 115 tackles, 16 sacks, three forced fumbles and four interceptions.

From Melvindale, McKinney attended City College of San Francisco, a Junior College in California, where he would help lead the Rams to a State Championship, which caught the eye of the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Due to a mix up, he wasn't able to attend West Virginia.

McKinney was recruited by FAU's Associate Head Coach and Recruiter Jeff Sims, who needed a slot receiver for the Owls new Spread Offense.

Unless FAU (6-6) qualifies for a bowl game, in what appears to be his last college contest, McKinney caught four passes for 75 yards in FAU's 21-6 win over FIU Friday in the Shula Bowl.

In 2012, McKinney played in 12 games, had 48 receptions, 492 yards and two touchdowns.

In 2013, he played in 10 games, had 45 receptions, 540 yards and one touchdown.

His progress has drawn tremendous praise from Interim Head Coach Brian Wright, who has guided the Owls to a 4-0 record after the departure of Carl Pelini.

"Dan is a durable guy and I mean he keeps playing. The thing I'm most proud about Daniel is some of these football games there were a lot of plays scripted for him within the game plan and really the last two weeks, he has not touched the ball as much as we would like him too offensively," Wright said. "And he has not said a word; all he asked is what else can he do and what he can do on special teams to help?

"Daniel McKinney is a winner. He wants to win and I am very proud of him. He just keeps playing and he keeps holding the rope and when you keep holding the rope and enduring as a football player and as a man, good things happen for you."

McKinney took the time in this Question and Answer Interview to describe his Unique Road to the FAU Owls from Detroit.

Q: How are things working out for you here in Boca Raton?

A:Thing are working out real fine. I met with the coaching staff, I really liked it and they welcomed me as one of theirs and treated me like family.

Q: There were a lot of Michigan schools that you could have attended, how did you make it to Florida Atlantic University?

A: The only time I knew about FAU was when they played in the Motor City Bowl in Detroit in 2008 at Ford Field. That was the last time I heard of them until I was getting recruited by Coach Sims. I didn't have the grades coming out of high school, so I made the best of the situation to go to Junior College. This helped me grow up, deal with certain things and gets me ready for the next level of football. I was actually doing stock and merchandising for shirts for the Motor City Bowl and watched the game.

Q: Lets talk about the 2013 season, starting with the mid-season coaching change. What has it been like?

A: There has been no difference between the two coaches. Same staff. We've instilled more of the "Us Factor" and we run the practices the same, a couple tweaks here and there. It's about Us and not about the Coaches we have.

Q: What type of progression have you made from the beginning of the season until now?

A: Our quarterbacks have learned to take what the defense gives them, and if we can run the ball for 500 yards we'll run it. If we can pass for 700 yards we'll pass it. If we can utilize a balanced attack, then we'll just use a balanced attack. I just get in where I fit in and make plays when I need to. I also need to be a leader. When I don't get the ball, I have to be mature and handle the situation.

Q: What's your overall experience been like at FAU?

A: It's been great. We've had to go through a couple things, but we're trying to turn the program around and laying the foundation for the new players coming in. This program is going to be on the rise. This should be one of the top programs since there are a lot of great athletes in South Florida. Who wouldn't want to come to Florida and play football?

Q: What does the future hold for Daniel McKinney?

A: I will be pursuing a professional career after this and plan to take full advantage of the School's Pro Day Next Spring.

We'll know whether the Owls move to Conference USA pays dividends now that FAU could play in a bowl. where there is a small payday.

For McKinney, 6-0, 205, there is one more last impression to make for scouts to see if he gets invited to an All-Star Game or the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

Interim Coach Wright?

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTO BY CANDICE EBLING

There aren't too many things the USC Trojans and FAU Owls have in common, but there is one major similarity between both universities.

Each school made mid-season coaching changes and the early returns have been excellent.

USC fired Head Coach Lane Kiffin after a 62-41 loss on the road to the Arizona State Sun Devils which dropped the Trojans to 3-2 on Sept 29.

Kiffin was replaced by Ed Orgeron, who has made the most of his opportunity and the interim coach is 6-1 including a 20-17 upset victory over No. 4 Stanford.

If Orgeron continues to win, I wouldn't be surprised to see him buy a home overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Here in Boca Raton by the Atlantic Ocean, Brian Wright is making the most of his opportunity as well.

After taking over for Carl Pelini, who resigned because of drug use, Wright rallied the Owls to an impressive 34-17 Homecoming win over the Tulane Green Wave (6-4) on November 2 at FAU Stadium.

The Owls took advantage of the bye week and then returned to action to blast Southern Mississippi (0-10) on the road 41-7 and improved to 4-6 overall and 2-0 under Wright.

The inspired football continued Saturday, as FAU faced the Independent New Mexico State Aggies (1-10) and pounded them 55-10. This was the first meeting between these schools and New Mexico State will be playing in FAU's old conference in 2014 joining the Sun Belt.

FAU improved to 5-6 and the Owls are 3-0 under Wright.

Should the Owls defeat FIU (1-10) Friday and improve to 6-6, they'll become bowl eligible.

A win would give Wright a 4-0 mark and Owls Athletic Director Patrick Chun will have a tough decision if he decides to look for another coach or retain and keep the continuity with Wright.

Against New Mexico State, FAU cruised to a 21-0 lead by the beginning of the second quarter and took a 28-7 lead at halftime. Owls QB Jaquez Johnson threw for 200 yards and two touchdowns. One of Johnson's touchdown passes was a 64-yard strike to Lucky Whitehead.

Johnson ended the game with 321 yards, three touchdowns and had a career high in rushing yards with 60. This is the fourth consecutive week Johnson has led all rushing for FAU.

FAU amassed 585 yards in total offense.

FAU blocked a punt for a touchdown in the first quarter which gave the Owls a 14-0 lead. On September 1, 2001, FAU's first touchdown in school history was a punt return for a touchdown by Todd Poitier against Slippery Rock.

Detroit native Senior Wide Receiver Daniel McKinney led FAU with three receptions for 83 yards with a long of 48 yards in the opening half.

McKinney, 6-0, 205, finished the contest with five receptions for 138 yards. This was his game high for the season.

When the game was over, the FAU win was the largest margin of victory against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent in the program's history.

It's FAU's third straight win in double figures and after the game, Wright refused to take any credit and deflected all of the praise to his players.

"I told my players that we had to go 1-0 each week and that's our goal this week is to go 1-0, " Wright said. "We're on a mission. The players are enjoying playing football, they have fun preparing during the week, and they are having fun showing up on Saturday and playing, and it's fun to watch them. And I just feel a sense of togetherness out there as a unit. It feels like a football team out there and that's fun to watch.

"I told the guys that we're on a mission to purse excellence and I told them not to focus on the scoreboard as much, but to purse excellence and be the best men that they can be as people first, and as football players, as students and then score and the wins will take care of itself.

"You find out the character of men when they rally around adversity. These players and seniors deserve the best effort and this team is resilient. We don't care if we run or pass, we just want to win football games."

These late season runs used to occur when Howard Schnellenberger was coaching and leading the team to a pair of bowl wins.

The last time FAU finished 6-6, the Owls defeated FIU which led to a Motor City Bowl bid and a win over Central Michigan in Detroit.

Time will tell if this happens again.

But one thing is certain, Pelini must be going crazy that a young interim coach is reaping the benefits of the players he recruited and is winning with them.

This interim coach will either be the next permanent coach or certainly one of the hottest prospects out there for another program.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming weeks.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.